Nicoletta Lanese is the health channel editor at Live Science and was previously a news editor and staff writer at the site. She is a recipient of the 2026 AHCJ International Health Study Fellowship, with a project focused on antibiotic stewardship practices in Japan and the U.S. They hold a graduate certificate in science communication from UC Santa Cruz and degrees in neuroscience and dance from the University of Florida. Beyond Live Science, Lanese's work has appeared in The Scientist, Science News, the Mercury News, Mongabay and Stanford Medicine Magazine, among other outlets. Based in NYC, she also remains involved in dance and performs in local choreographers' work.
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Experimental HIV vaccines show promise in early safety testSeveral vaccines for HIV have been tested in animal studies and an early safety trial in people, showing promising results in both.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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'Universal' cancer vaccine heading to human trials could be useful for 'all forms of cancer'A new mRNA-based vaccine triggers a response from the innate immune system to help arm the body against cancer, a mouse study finds. It's now in early human trials.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Pizzeria mishap left at least 85 people intoxicated with THC after infused oil used for doughIn 2024, an odd outbreak of THC intoxication hit more than 80 people in Wisconsin after a pizzeria accidentally used oil infused with the psychoactive ingredient.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Memories aren't static in the brain — they 'drift' over timeA new mouse study of spatial memory suggests that the brain's representation of places "drifts" over time.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Raw milk carrying Salmonella sickened 170 people in 5 states, mainly kidsA new report authored by California health officials describes a raw-milk-related outbreak of Salmonella that sickened dozens in 2023 and 2024.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Best-ever map of the human genome reveals 'hidden' regions of DNAIn a pair of papers, scientists greatly expanded our catalog of known genomic variation among humans.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Male birth control pill passes early safety test, with more trials underwayAn experimental birth control pill for males works by blocking sperm production, and it just passed its first safety test in humans.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Weird swelling of man's fingers and toes revealed cancer had 'completely replaced' the bones with lesionsMarked swelling in a man's finger and big toe was a symptom of late-stage cancer.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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8 babies spared from potentially deadly inherited diseases through new IVF 'mitochondrial donation' trialA groundbreaking trial in the U.K. has released data on eight babies born through a special IVF procedure to lower their risk of mitochondrial DNA disease.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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The choice of sperm is 'entirely up to the egg' — so why does the myth of 'racing sperm' persist?In her new book "The Stronger Sex," science journalist Starre Vartan dispels myths and misconceptions about the female body.
By Starre Vartan Published
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Experimental treatment for high cholesterol edits DNA in the body to reduce LDLAn experimental treatment called VERVE-102 lowers the amount of "bad" cholesterol in the blood of people with specific cholesterol-raising conditions.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Man in Australia dies of rare, rabies-like diseaseA man in New South Wales was exposed to a rare relative of the rabies virus and died of the resulting infection. His was only the fourth case of the disease ever documented.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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8-year-old with rare, fatal disease shows dramatic improvement on experimental treatmentA child with a rare genetic disease that affects mitochondria is the first person to receive a new experimental treatment for the potentially life-threatening condition.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Shingles popped a hole in a man's bladderA man suffered a rare complication of shingles and ended up with a ruptured bladder.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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The rare genetic disease that gives babies hard 'scales'The genetic disease harlequin ichthyosis affects the transport of fats within the skin, resulting in hard, scalelike plaques and an array of other symptoms.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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A woman started eating foam from her chair while receiving dialysisA woman on dialysis experienced a lot of fluid buildup between appointments and developed an unusual eating habit in an attempt to counter it.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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A rare inherited condition that causes dramatic, early agingSymptoms of Werner syndrome, which causes premature aging, can appear in a person's teens and progress quickly in their 20s and 30s.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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HIV/AIDS: Facts about the viral infection that attacks the immune systemLearn how HIV spreads, how it affects the body and what treatments are available.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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New study raises big questions about taurine as anti-aging supplementSome studies suggested that declining levels of taurine, an amino acid, might be a key driver of aging. But a new study defies that idea.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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A rare genetic disease stained a woman's heart blackAn older woman had a relatively common heart problem, but it had a very rare cause.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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The rare condition that makes people unable to smileMoebius syndrome is a rare condition that affects several cranial nerves, impairing the muscles that control facial expressions and eye movements.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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A man held in a sneeze — and it punctured his windpipeA man tore his windpipe, in part, due to hay fever.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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35 optical illusionsArtists and scientists have been creating optical illusions for centuries. Here are 35 mind-bending examples that prove you can't always trust what your eyes are telling you.
By Patrick Pester Last updated
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US baby receives first-ever customized CRISPR treatment for genetic diseaseA baby known as KJ is the first person in the world to receive a customized CRISPR therapy designed to fix a specific mutation.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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